The Horizon Strangers

Unwelcome Presence

SAM POV

 I had spend 2 days so far with my family and I had just 3 more to go. I was given just a week to take a break which I am very grateful for. 

I am currently at the groceries store planning for a dinner party, Nikki, Chelsey's boyfriend and her parents will be coming over for dinner.  

The air inside the grocery store was cool, the fluorescent lights humming softly as I moved through the aisles, taking my time. It was nice to be able to think clearly for once, without the constant pressure of being around Zevran and the weight of the prophecy hanging over me. 

The normality of it all, the simple task of grocery shopping, felt like a momentary escape, a small piece of the life I used to know before everything turned upside down.

I reached the vegetable aisle, pausing to inspect some broccoli. The fresh green florets were perfect. I picked up a bunch, my fingers brushing against the cool stems. I was so wrapped up in the mundane task of choosing dinner ingredients, I didn't even notice at first when the presence behind me shifted.

It wasn't until I felt a subtle change in the air that I realized someone was standing right behind me. My breath caught in my throat as I slowly turned, already feeling that something was wrong.

A man stood a few feet away, towering over me with his broad frame.

 He was tall, much taller than anyone I had seen lately, and his muscles were noticeable even under the simple, fitted shirt he wore. 

His face was striking, almost impossibly handsome, but there was something unsettling about him. 

His eyes, dark and penetrating, locked onto mine immediately, and I couldn't look away.

The strangest thing happened next. As if something invisible and weighty settled around me, my body froze. 

It was as though my muscles were no longer mine to command. 

I couldn't move, couldn't even shift my gaze from his.

He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. The smell of cologne mixed with an unnatural undertone, something cold and metallic. His movements were smooth, practiced, as he reached for his own bunch of broccoli. 

He seemed entirely unfazed by my paralyzed state, as if he were completely aware of the power he had over me.

"How interesting," the man murmured, his voice low and almost... predatory. "You're the one they speak of. The human with a connection to the universe."

I wanted to shout, to scream for help, but my voice was locked away, just like my body. Panic began to swirl in my chest, my heart hammering in my ribcage. What did he mean? How did he know about me?

He tilted his head slightly, as if studying me closely. His gaze moved from my eyes to the shape of my face, lingering for a moment before returning to my eyes. I could feel the weight of his stare like a physical thing, a pressure that made my skin crawl.

"Fascinating," he said again, almost to himself. "I wonder... will you be the key to their victory, or will you destroy them all?"

I wanted to scream again, but no sound came out.

It was then I felt it, the frequency he was emitting, pulsing in the air like a low hum that reverberated through my chest. It was alien, unnatural, and I felt it invade my senses like a poison, spreading through my veins. Every instinct screamed at me to run, to get away, but my body refused to obey.

I didn't know what he was, or what he wanted with me, but I knew one thing: I had to get away from him.

He stepped closer, his presence like a dark cloud closing in around me, suffocating any sense of safety. I could feel his eyes....no, his intent....scrutinizing me, studying every detail of my face as if he were trying to figure me out.